You Can Take the Batgirl Out of the City
by vaguevagrant
Summary: New to Central City, Barbara Gordon intends on beginning a new life and takes a part-time job at CCPD. Though after an investigation briefly forces her to once again become her alter-ego Batgirl, she realises that starting again is harder than she anticipated. With new friends and threats, her vow is proving difficult to keep; especially with Dick Grayson on her tail. FSum Inside.
1. Positive Horizons

**Title: **You Can Take The Batgirl Out of the City

**Summary (Extended):** New to Central City, Barbara Gordon intends on beginning a new life and takes a part-time job at the local police department. Though after an investigation briefly forces her to once again become Batgirl, she realises that starting again is harder than she anticipated. Struggling with her vow to never become Batgirl again, Barbara finds herself interacting with people who seem to be immersed in the superhero lifestyle. Barry Allen is attempting to find his way as the new hero of Central City, Oliver Queen is struggling after the death of Sara and Laurel Lance has begun a training regime under the tutelage of the once masked vigilante, Wild Cat. Felicity is left battered and bruised after a mission goes terribly wrong in the field and with Ray's help, she may just discover the means to make her worthy of a place by the Arrow's side: as a fellow vigilante. Roy Harper is torn between reuniting with Thea and keeping his own vigilante identity a secret from her again, whilst Caitlin and Cisco begin to come to terms with the unexpected after-effects of the particle reactor and the apparent resurrection of Ronnie Raymond.

**Timeline: **Post 1x06 "The Flash Is Born" of the Flash, and 3x07 "Draw Back Your Bow" of Arrow

**A/N: **I've caught the few grammar mistakes that slipped by my initial check and also altered the Arrow scene at the end of the chapter. Make sure you to read the revised version, and seriously, thanks to everyone who reviewed!

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><p><strong>Chapter One <strong>– "Positive Horizons"

The steady, peaceful rain that was sweeping across Central City had now become an aggressive downpour; capable of halting traffic and forcing people to take refuge within the nearest shop. Angry taxi drivers and chauffeurs beeped their car horns and shouted obscenities from their open windows, but there was a single young girl walking the streets that saw all of this as a bliss-like paradise. If the only thing Barbara Gordon had to worry about now was the number of people with road rage, she could happily spend the rest of her life here.

The move from Gotham hadn't been an easy one but from the moment she'd driven across the bridge into the heart of Central City, Barbara knew that this had been the best thing for her. No longer would she have to concern herself with the scum of Gotham or the lawless streets of Bludhaven.

Arguably there had been news reports of a red streak gallivanting around town, but it was unlikely that Barbara would be affected by a blur; if she actively shied away from danger. She had her theories on what or who it could be, but each one only led her to the inevitable scenario that she would once again don her cowl and cape; something she had sworn never again to do.

Adopting the alter ego of Batgirl had taken Barbara on some truly unforgettable journeys, but it also brought with it the constant threat of retaliation and vengeance. Sure, she and _he who shall not be named_ had taken down a number of dangerous foes, but their imprisonment within Arkham always seemed to be a temporary one.

It wasn't until she sustained a paralysing injury that Barbara truly regretted becoming Batgirl. She had spent three years in a wheelchair, clinging to her former life as a vigilante by taking the codename Oracle and using her technological skills to aid her friends. It was nowhere near as fulfilling as physically being out there, but it was the best she could do with an awful situation. But now things were different, she had regained her mobility over a year ago and after graduating college, was ready to start a life free of terrifying situations.

Shrugging off the weakening grasp Gotham and Bludhaven held on her, Barbara pulled her shoulders inwards and lowered her umbrella slightly. The police station was only four blocks away from her new apartment, which proved to be a pleasant perk; especially with all of the aforementioned road rage. Barbara breathed a faint giggle and stopped her brisk pace beside a row of stone steps.

They led to two large doors, each one transparent and disclosing the busy lives of the Central City Police Department. Men and women in uniform paced hurriedly back and forth, engaged in conversation; detectives out of uniform but smartly dressed shrugged their arms into trench coats and holstered their weapons. It was truly fascinating for Barbara to be on this side of the law, especially without hiding behind a mask; maybe now she could afford being recognised for her work in the field.

"Barbara Gordon," the voice was warm albeit consumed with surprise, and without turning beneath her navy umbrella, she grinned. "My god, look at you," Barbara turned and took in the welcomed sight of Joe West, a somewhat distant friend of her father, James Gordon. He had told Barbara about Joe and it was thanks to him that she was able to land a part-time job that utilised her degree in forensic psychology. She was to interview criminals _and _prospective witnesses in order to determine whether they were fit to stand trial or act as a reliable witness respectively. Of course there'd be a little psychoanalysis thrown in there too.

It hadn't been Barbara's dream job but during her time as Oracle –analysing police footage and countless interrogations- she had become quite fascinated with that particular field of expertise. Her father putting in a good word with Joe West certainly didn't hinder her chances, and now here she was, with her own apartment, a job and a tangible grasp on normalcy.

"It's been too long, Joe," Barbara immediately tucked the shaft of her umbrella underneath her arm and attempted to avoid poking his eye out as she embraced him. The sleeves of his trench coat were soaking wet and it immediately reached the skin beneath her thin sweater but she didn't care; laying eyes on a familiar face was just another milestone Barbara had been waiting to achieve. "I think the last time I saw you, I was—"

Joe immediately interrupted her and laughed. "Your fourth grade talent show. I was working a case out in Gotham and it just so happened that Jim convinced me to tag along. I heard he's commissioner now? Good for him." Joe's gaze trailed off for a slight second, obviously recalling a memory that portrayed one of their closer moments. "You sang that song, oh what was it called," Joe snapped his fingers as though that would conjure the name to the front of his memory.

"It's a Hard Knock Life," Barbara blushed at the recollection and could feel the warmth beneath her cheeks as the sudden image of her hideous orange dress made itself known. "One of the more embarrassing moments of my life." Both of them laughed as they casually asserted some distance between themselves and Joe sighed, clearly happy to be reminded of the 'good ole' days'.

"Well you sounded great," the wrinkles around Joe's eyes became visible as his gentle smile turned into a grin, displaying a row of teeth faintly stained by coffee; the well-known drink of choice for officers. "Now, how about we get out of this rain and I show you around, get you settled in?"

There were no words that could have made Barbara happier and as her head threatened to fall off of her shoulders from nodding so hard, she accepted Joe's offer and began climbing the stone steps. The rain hadn't died down and had now distorted the transparent image of the police department doors, forcing blues and browns to mesh into undiscovered colours that served as the backdrop for Barbara's new beginning.

The doors opened easily with a slight push and though a few heads turned at the pair of them entering, they didn't stay cemented for long. It was simple curiosity opposed to the expectant look that officers got when a new criminal was brought into Gotham PD. But here there were no tattooed thugs donning bandannas and torn trousers, it was just lawyers and police officers, lab assistants and interns. This was the very picture of law-and-order, something every young girl originating from Gotham craved.

"So what do you think? A little cleaner than Gotham, am I right?" Joe ran a hand through his short hair and rid himself of the excess liquid, shaking his arms a few times to allow the droplets to join the small puddle forming at the hem of his coat. "Central City has its problems but there aren't drug dealers and gang wars. More like—" Barbara pulled her gaze away from the identical staircases on either side of the main entrance and turned to him, suddenly aware that he had cut off mid-sentence.

"More like what, Joe?" Barbara asked curiously, her intellect thirsty for knowledge; but she had a feeling that she knew what he was going to say, and it had something to do with the red streak appearing all over town. If he or she _was _a vigilante, then it appeared as though the law's stance hadn't changed, even in Central City. Despite the red streak having saved people countless times already, the officers of Central –and _any _city- were bound by laws that often hindered the way they were forced to carry out investigations. Vigilantes were free to go where and when they pleased, without answering to anybody or risking their badge and gun being revoked.

"Oh, nothing, just me thinking aloud, now let's have you meet the rest of the team," Joe placed a hand on the small of Barbara's back and ushered her forward, immediately exposing her to several rows of desks covered in documents and crime scene photos; as well as the hurried journeys of the other detectives.

Some were yammering into their phones, demanding information on perps whilst others were making round trips from the copier to their desks and then back around to the small corridor marked with an arrow labelled 'Evidence'. Instead of overwhelming awe –which was how Barbara assumed she'd react- she was ecstatic, and very eager to begin. Everybody knew what they were doing and where they had to be, and she envied that: the routine of an ordinary day.

Joe continued guiding Barbara through the aisles until they stopped outside of a door, with a plaque nailed to the mid-section that read 'Captain Singh'. Instinctively Barbara looked up at Joe, who was smiling deviously as he grasped the bronze handle and shoved her inside.

Barbara was immediately met with a tanned man wearing a shirt and smart pants who had his palms pressed against the top of his polished desk. Before her arrival, he had clearly been addressing the two men that sat before him. The captain himself was a broad man, with thick black hair and a stern jaw that was either natural or a permanent fixture after clenching it so much.

The man on Barbara's left was sitting uncomfortably, his forearms pressed tightly against the armrests of the wooden chair he sat in. He was blonde, and his cheekbones were oddly attractive, complementing the side of his face that Barbara could see. Thirdly, the smaller, appropriately awkward male that looked around Barbara's age seemed to be in the middle of a thought. He was wearing a cardigan that –as Barbara was guided further forward- she could see was covering a white shirt and a tie. While the younger of the two men was in smart-casual clothing, the blonde man was clearly a detective; which meant the former was some sort of therapist or lab assistant.

"Captain Singh, this is Barbara Gordon, she's the new forensic psychologist," Joe's raised and attention-grabbing voice was clearly an attempt to rid the room of whatever hostility had ignited before their arrival. "She's Commissioner Gordon's daughter, he works out of Gotham," Captain Singh had a puzzled look on his face and it was clear that he had no idea who Barbara was; but as Joe mentioned her father, he raised an eyebrow and sighed.

"Of course, of course, Jim's kid. Welcome to Central City, stick with Joe here and he'll show you the ropes," it was clear that the captain had no time for providing inductions to the new recruits, and Barbara didn't mind that; she had been witness to the many occasions in which her father had scolded or completely ignored one of his officers. It was awkward to watch but she had never experienced that level of indifference, but with the Captain's current attitude, she suspected that, that was going to change sometime soon.

"Barbara, this is Eddie Thawne, my partner," Joe signalled towards Eddie and he stood, revealing himself to be a little shorter than Barbara had anticipated. Though she did admit that he was attractive, even if he did have a slightly uneasy look on his face.

"It's nice to meet you," Barbara said as she stretched out her hand and shook it as he took a hold. She could now see that Eddie was uncomfortable because he'd just had his scolding observed by an outsider.

"It's good to meet you too, Miss Gordon," Eddie retracted his hand and Barbara did the same. "Now I know I'm only Joe's partner, but he's a friend, and any friend of his is a friend of mine."

"Thank you, I appreciate that," and Barbara did, although she had been around enough corrupted cops in Gotham to know that it'd take more than pleasantries to win her over. Eddie nodded and smiled once more before leaving the room, not failing to nod to both the captain and Joe as he did so.

"And this is Barry, he's our forensic investigator. No doubt you two will be working together in the future, so I think it would be best if _he_ were the one to show you around," Joe gave Barry a pressing look that immediately saw him getting out of his chair and offering his hand.

"Hey Barbara, I'm Barry," he was smiling brightly and as their hands departed, he crossed his arms. "So you're from Gotham, I bet you got a jump on your career as a forensic psychologist then? Because of all the crime?"

Barbara tensed slightly at the mention of the city and uncomfortably shook her head, "I only graduated recently, but being the daughter of an officer, you certainly hear some stories." She heard Joe laugh through a grunt and smiled.

"Well I better get back to work, and Barry, make sure you show Barbara everything, _not _just your lab," Joe turned and grabbed the door handle, "Captain," he said with a firm nod and immediately left the room. Though as Barbara turned back to Barry, she caught sight of the captain.

"Yes Miss Gordon, Mr Allen, this is still my office," Barry laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head before making an effort to get the door.

"Thank you, sir," Barbara said as she stepped past Barry and back into the main office of the station. She heard Barry bidding the captain good-bye and waited patiently until he joined her. Barbara could already tell that she was going to fit in here, and truthfully she was relieved; but even more so because she could now strike 'new job' off of her list of things to do now that she'd finally gotten to Central City.

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><p>The air was bordering on freezing as Felicity joined the slow foot traffic outside of what was previously Queen Consolidated. There were a number of people hailing cabs and others heading towards the light show a few blocks away. Even though Felicity had no intention of going to see the Christmas lights being turned on, she didn't feel like heading back to the lair.<p>

Aside from John's blatant albeit honest confession that her work relationship with Ray Palmer bothered Oliver, it had hurt her that the masked hero of Starling City hadn't come to verbalise his feelings himself. Felicity pressed gentle fingertips against her lips and was instantly reminded of how little time had passed since Ray had kissed her and what was more surprising was the fact that she had kissed him back.

But for whatever reason, Felicity couldn't shake the feeling that she had done Oliver a great injustice. The unspoken bond or attraction between them was unmistakable yet simultaneously unobtainable. Oliver had even said that he couldn't be with anybody and as much as Felicity wanted to take Oliver's uncomfortable reaction to her possibly having feelings for somebody else as some sort of sign, she knew that it wasn't because he wanted to be with her.

Felicity's posture slumped considerably as she clutched her purse and buried herself into her coat. The lair was definitely not an option, so she commanded her feet to walk towards the curb and she raised her arm. It seemed that the only solace she was going to achieve tonight was from finally finishing that server encryption Ray had asked for.

The various lights and sounds of car horns seemed to disappear as Felicity waved her arm towards an oncoming taxi. Her mind was consumed with thoughts of matters she couldn't control or would rather ignore until the very last possible moment, so she hardly paid attention as she sat down on the uncomfortable interior of the vehicle and disclosed her address.

It was only moments later that Felicity was torn from her emotional barrage and occupied by her cell phone. It was a message from John, containing a picture he'd obviously taken from the kitchen. Oliver and Roy were sat opposite Lila and an empty chair, with almost finished plates of food in front of them. Felicity smiled for a moment and felt her heart elate at the happiness on each of their faces, though as her eyes travelled towards the message that accompanied the image, her smile faded.

'There's plenty more.' The words were sincere and in her head, Felicity could almost hear John convincing her to confront Oliver and tell him that there was nothing between Ray and herself. But she could also hear her own voice, stating that it wasn't entirely true.

Sighing and attempting to keep the tears that threatened to fall at bay, Felicity quickly typed a reply and placed her phone back into her pocket. 'Maybe next time.'


	2. Seeing Red

**Title: **You Can Take The Batgirl Out of the City

**Chapter Summary:** It's Barbara's first case, and after meeting a reporter from Metropolis and reminiscing about an old villain from Gotham, she's finally introduced to Iris West. But when one good thing enters Barbara's life, something equally as bad immediately follows: this time it's in the form of a former ally.

**Timeline: **Post 1x06 "The Flash Is Born" of the Flash, and 3x07 "Draw Back Your Bow" of Arrow

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong> – "Seeing Red"

It had been three days since Barbara had started her job at the Central City Police Department. Truthfully it was difficult getting settled in, but once she had come to accept her small office down the hall from Barry Allen, she had dove right in.

Today was going to be the day that she would conduct her first of many evaluations, courtesy of a sudden riot at the Central City bank. Apparently something had suddenly instilled an uncontrollable rage within them, something that Captain Singh had asked Barbara to investigate further. Understandably she was nervous, but at the same time, her eagerness to 'get stuck in' was overpowering the internal butterflies.

"Good morning, Barbara," Joe chimed as she entered the police station, "I hear you've got your first case today." Barbara nodded before she spoke and halted her brisk pace to avoid bumping into a fellow officer. Everyone was much more polite in Central City, just another perk Barbara had discovered.

"That's right," she said before taking a sip from the coffee cup in her hand, "the riot at the bank yesterday, I'm evaluating a few of them, trying to find some sort of mental explanation." Barbara was wearing a tasteful silk blouse beneath a grey pantsuit, something far more uncomfortable than her leather, but she didn't mind. "I'm just hoping everything I learnt is still up here," she paused to signal a finger towards her forehead, "what have you got today?"

"Not much, mostly paperwork from a couple of hit and runs, but I hear CCPD has a high level prisoner transfer today." Joe took a generous helping from his own coffee mug and swallowed, sighing appreciatively afterwards. "Calls himself the Clock King or something like that."

Barbara rolled her eyes in an attempt to appear unfazed, but her mind was already recalling the headlines she'd heard when he had appeared in Starling City. It wasn't a rare event for Starling and Central City events to be shown on the news in Gotham, especially ones that involved the Arrow.

Barbara had always suspected that the man behind the mask was much like Bruce, both preferring to deflect the fame and glory and shouldering only the burden of what they did. Though despite that, Barbara could sympathise, she didn't exactly want people knowing of her moonlighting adventures.

"What's happening to the world, eh," Barbara said as she nodded towards the stairs, "I better get started on my own paperwork. I'll see you around?" She smiled as Joe wished her good luck and swiftly began climbing the mahogany stairs.

She had been placed in an office directly down the hall from Barry, and although she had the feeling that they would be seeing each other frequently, she shrugged as she walked past his door. His lab was empty, except for a number of shelves containing chemicals and paperwork that covered almost every flat surface.

Though it wasn't until Barbara had taken a few steps that she stopped, suddenly assaulted with a harsh albeit swiftly dissipating breeze.

"Oh, morning Barbara, is that you?" Barbara retracted the few steps she'd taken and raised an eyebrow; Barry was sitting at his desk. He was hunched over the mass of paper on his desk and stretched after getting to his feet as though he'd been seated for a while. "I've been here half the night, blood samples won't analyse themselves, am I right?" Barry crossed the room and leant against a small desk by the door, using his hand to prop him up.

"Morning Barry," Barbara attempted to subtly lean forward and look for any back offices or additional desks he could have been behind, but came up empty, "you didn't just get in? Funny."

Barry looked a little startled but attempted to play it off as exhaustion as he mocked a yawn. "Yeah, I've been here the whole time, I was just in the bathroom." Barry hooked a thumb over his shoulder but immediately lowered it as a brick wall met Barbara's gaze.

"Alright then, have a good day, Barry." Barbara smiled and turned towards her office, but couldn't resist shaking her head as her mind attempted to deduct a reason behind Barry's appearing act.

Barbara sighed as she gave up and opened the door to her office, no longer frowning as she had done the past three days. Sure, it was smaller than she would have liked, but it was her own office; which was exceedingly more preferably than a dank cave. She was officially a civilian with a paying job and no ties to the mafia or vigilantes.

As she closed the door behind her, Barbara dropped her empty coffee into the small bin on her left and immediately walked towards her desk. As she settled into it comfortably, she glanced up at the circular clock and made a note that she only had forty-five minutes until the first of her evaluations.

So as Barbara pressed the power button to awaken her computer, she opened the top drawer of the desk and retrieved a small folder. It was pale yellow in colour and no larger than an A4 piece of paper, and as she opened it, the images and statements taken from the crime scene greeted her.

Almost all of them contained phrases that indicated an outside catalyst for their sudden rage. It was almost as though they were recalling a dream, only capable of remembering fragments and feelings; the most predominant of which being rage.

Barbara put the file to one side and turned to her computer, swiftly entering her username and password. The screen went black once more before displaying her desktop screen, complete with a wallpaper of the Central City Police Department's logo. Once the continuous turning blue icon reverted back to a white arrow, Barbara opened the Internet and began searching for any articles similar to what had occurred at the bank.

It didn't take Barbara long before she deducted that there was nothing else out there, and just as she closed her browser and prepared to recite her questions, there were three knocks on her door. They were brief and loud, which gave Barbara the indication that it wasn't Barry or Joe.

"Come in." Barbara said clearly, immediately straightening her back and clearing her throat. Her eyes watched the door open slowly until a young officer came into view.

"Miss Gordon, I'm Officer Howard. A man just stopped by and asked me to give you this," he raised his hand to draw her attention to a small manila envelope.

"Did he leave a name?" Barbara asked as she crossed the room and took the envelope from the officer. He immediately shook his head and she thanked him as she closed the door and pressed her back against it. All it had taken was a single look at her written name to reveal who had sent it. Both 'b's' were slightly cursive and the last 'a' was adjoined to an uneven underlining line.

Barbara bit her lip and sighed. Part of her knew that she should open the envelope, but there was another part begging for her to ignore it and continue on with a normal life. Though as she returned to her seat and turned the paper over in her hands, she cleared her throat once more and placed it into the top drawer of her desk.

"There is no way I'm going back to that," Barbara told herself in a hushed whisper, "just ignore it and move on." The mantra had lost its effective now that somebody from her _other _life had made contact.

It was taking every shred of willpower she possessed to ignore it for the next thirty minutes, time that Barbara thanked the heavens for. It was time for her to begin the first of her evaluations, and with any luck they would be able to distract her from the problem at hand.

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><p>As Barbara sat down for her fifth evaluation of the morning, she looked at the clock and realised that it was almost one. Her previous sessions had served as free-of-charge therapy sessions, but Barbara didn't mind; she'd been able to deduct that each witness so far was completely sane, or having a completely normal reaction at least.<p>

Though now she was going to interview Sarah Walkman, a young woman who had lifted a gun from a security guard and ultimately fired it towards another witness. There had been testimonies to her tender-hearted nature and from everything else Barbara had learnt about her, Sarah was in fact a very passive, caring woman. A fact that only made the case that much harder to understand, but as much as Barbara hated to admit it, it was very likely that a nerve gas or _abnormal _villain was behind this. Two things that only served to once again steer her towards the life she had walked away from; both of which forced her to think of a particular, smiling psychopath.

Barbara shuffled slightly in her seat, which was directly opposite a long wooden table. The room was small, square and by Barbara's count, the smallest of the interview rooms within the station. She looked at the clock once more and decided to wait down the hall in view of the entrance to the station.

The temperature was warm and Barbara manoeuvred out of her grey jacket as she walked the lengthy corridor. Barbara had suspected that she was going to have to wait a while for Sarah to arrive, but as she stopped amongst the sea of bustling officers, she caught sight of the small blonde woman; identifiable from her picture within the case file.

"Miss Walkman?" Barbara said clearly as she walked towards the woman. She was wearing a thin black turtleneck beneath a beige jacket and was currently embracing a taller, brunette woman.

"Yes?" Sarah said meekly before removing herself from the grasp of the unknown woman.

"Hi there, my name is Barbara, I'm going to be the one asking you about the event that took place yesterday," Barbara offered her hand and Sarah took it briefly, though before either one of them could speak again, the brunette cleared her throat.

"Lois Lane," she said proudly, offering her hand despite the polite gesture not reaching her eyes, "I'm a reporter for the Daily Planet in Metropolis. I want you to know that I hope the Central City Police Department is doing everything in their power to apprehend the man that did this, or—" Sarah placed her hand on Lois' shoulder and the woman stopped.

"I apologise for my half-sister, she can be very intense when it comes to family," Sarah ignored Lois' glare and continued, "but I'm prepared to help in whatever way I can." Sarah smiled.

"No need to apologise, we're all protective of family." Barbara nodded as Sarah spoke and then informed Lois that Sarah would only be a few minutes. She had already taken copious amounts of notes regarding the event, and now she only had to rule out that any of the victims were certifiably insane or better yet, guilty. "If you'd like to follow me?" Barbara said, signalling an arm in the general direction of the interview rooms.

Sarah bid Lois goodbye and Barbara walked alongside her, once again navigating through the bustling bodies of fellow officers. It was only a minute later than Barbara was ushering Sarah into the interview room and sitting down opposite her.

"I will have to record this, is that okay?" Barbara attempted to ask the question with a smile but she was suddenly aware that all she'd had all day was an endless supply of caffeine; she was craving a burger or something as equally unhealthy. Sarah nodded, failing to conceal how uncomfortable she was.

"Okay, so I just have a few questions to ask you. Please answer as truthfully as you can and understand that at this point, all of this is just routine. You are not being accused of any crimes or being tricked into a confession of some sort, do you understand?" With a second nod from Sarah, Barbara began, a pen in her left hand ready to scrawl any notes. "In your statement, you mentioned feeling overwhelmed with anger. Could you attempt to describe that further?"

Sarah sighed and closed her eyes, betraying her fear at being asked that very question. Her fingers lay interconnected on the table, though were quickly unlinked and hidden as she folded her arms. It was no secret that she was almost scared to recall the incident at the bank.

"I don't know how to explain it any further. One minute I was on my phone, walking up to the counter, when—" With her eyes still closed, Sarah struggled to remember anything further. "I don't remember much, just like my statement said, all of a sudden it was as though I'd just snapped. I was angry, _really _angry, but I had no reason to be, though I guess it was more like an uncontrollable rage. All of a sudden I was consumed by it, entirely, and after that, I only remember seeing the—" Sarah paused and Barbara looked up from her lined paper to see Sarah's uneasy expression. Though it wasn't because of what she was remembering, it was because she didn't want to say what happened next.

"Sarah, if there's something that you're holding back—" Before Barbara could finish, Sarah suddenly sighed and shook her head.

"I'm not holding back anything, well, I am, but it's not what you think. You're going to think I'm crazy." Sarah unfolded her arms and pressed her forehead against her palms, seemingly succeeding in stifling back tears. "Just before myself and everyone else snapped out of whatever it was that we were under, I fired the gun. I've never even fired a gun in my life, but there I was. And just as the bullet was going to hit that poor man, there—" Sarah paused, muttering words such as 'psych ward' and 'insane' under her breath, "the streak appeared. I know he's probably not real and it's just my mind attempting to trick me, but I'm _certain_, I saw the streak and he moved something in the way of the bullet."

It was only a few seconds later that Sarah lost her battle with her tears. She began sobbing, forcing questions regarding her sanity out of her mouth in between harsh intakes of breath. Barbara immediately stood and attempted to console her, but it didn't seem to have any effect, so she opted for retrieving Lois Lane.

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><p>Barbara released a lengthy sigh as she relaxed back into her chair with a pile of completed paperwork sitting in front of her. After grabbing a sandwich from the vending machine downstairs, she had spent the rest of the afternoon processing her evaluations; it had taken hours but now she looked upon them, instilled with endless pride. She had officially carried out her first several evaluations for her first case and now she could relax, or she could once she got home.<p>

Though as appetising as take out sounded, she was in the mood for something more substantial. And as if a higher power had granted Barbara her wish, Barry appeared in the doorway.

"Hey, so how did your first case go?" Barry took a few steps inside Barbara's office and spotted the paperwork on her desk. "A success then?" He laughed and Barbara nodded, groaning as she straightened her back and stood.

"Well, that's it until tomorrow at least," she grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and wiggled her arms into it, "but I'm definitely ready for something to eat. How do you find the time?" Barbara nodded towards the cinnamon roll in Barry's hand and he suddenly straightened his posture.

"I eat fast?" He said uneasily, squinting his eyes until he was sure Barbara had accepted that as an answer. Though instead of questioning it like the better half of her mind demanded, she simply smiled and walked towards him. "Anyway, if you're not doing anything, I'm meeting Iris and Eddie at Big Belly Burger for something to eat if you want to come?"

Barbara considered it for a moment but as soon as she realised that she was still very much craving a burger, she agreed. "Sure, I could definitely go for a burger. Everyone has to have a cheat day after all, right?"

Barry smiled in agreement and informed her that it was only around the corner, a fact that only made Barbara that much happier. And as she walked alongside Barry towards the entrance of the station, she couldn't help but feel _normal_.

"So how are you finding everything? I bet it's a lot easier than working in Gotham?" Both Barbara and Barry shoved their hands into their pockets as they stepped out into the open air. It was going to be a frosty night if the current temperature was any indication.

"So far it's been great, the people are nice, the streets are clean," both of them released a brief laugh, "it's just what I was looking for after leaving." Barbara smiled and then grinned as they turned a corner and were met with the large alluring Big Belly Burger logo. "It smells so good!" She said appreciatively as Barry opened the door for her.

While Barbara immediately set her gaze on the bright menu above the counter, Barry greeted a seated Iris and Eddie. Both of them arose from their seats and quickly came over, Iris hugging Barry and Eddie shaking Barbara's hand.

"Iris, this is Barbara. She's a forensic psychologist from Gotham. Her dad knows your dad." Iris hugged Barbara and though surprised, she returned the embrace.

"I know who she is, Barry. Dad told me that he worked with your dad years ago, I don't think we ever met but it's still nice to meet you." Iris stepped back and clutched Eddie's hand, but nobody missed the sly glance she gave Barry; which seemed to reveal that she approved.

"Don't look at me like that, she's only been here three days," Barry blushed and Barbara uncomfortably laughed, agreeing with him. "But how about we order some food?" Barbara was grateful for Barry diverting the attention off of the two of them but she had a feeling that it was more for Iris' benefit than his. She had deducted from the moment they'd looked at each other that Barry felt something for Joe's daughter.

"Great, I'm starving, we almost ordered without you." Iris nudged an elbow into Eddie's side at his comment, rolling her eyes at his impatience. "Ouch," he muttered before playfully wrapping his arms around Iris' waist.

"Oh-kay, so I think you were sitting over here?" Barbara followed Barry as he walked past a distract Iris and Eddie and took a seat in a booth by the window. He removed his jacket and Barbara mimicked his movements as she attempted to think of something to say. Should she comment on how he looks at her? Immediately deciding against it, Barbara picked up one of the laminated menus and began browsing, chancing a side glance at Barry every so often.

Unsurprisingly he was trying to look at Iris without making it obvious, and he was equally failing at hiding the sadness in his eyes. "Don't worry." Barbara suddenly said, her eyes still glued on the menu. She was aware of Barry's abrupt movements as he faced her and she sighed. "It's obvious from the way you look at her, and how you deflect things when Eddie touches her," she chanced placing a hand on Barry's own, "but trust me, if you're as close as Joe says you are, then I have no doubt that you'll be together."

Barbara swiftly retracted her hand as Iris and Eddie arrived back at the table, and thankfully, any further conversation was halted by the arrival of a waitress. "Are you ready to order?" She asked indifferently, a fact that surprised no one from the wrinkles around her mouth, a result from her years of forced smiling.

"We'll take four double cheeseburgers with everything, and fries and four chocolate milkshakes," Barbara, Iris and Eddie all looked at Barry as his eyes sifted through the menu. Even the waitress, who evidently didn't care about the lives of her customers looked up from her notepad. "What? We're all hungry, aren't we?" He said, a genuine look of confusion on his face.

Iris scrunched her eyebrows and smirked, shrugging it off as she nodded. "That's fine with me." Eddie seconded his girlfriend's choice and Barbara also agreed, secretly grateful that she didn't have to order something so large herself; she was after all, starving.

"Coming right up." The waitress muttered, gathering up the menus after depositing her notepad and pencil into the pouch of her apron. Though as soon as she was out of earshot, Iris turned towards Barbara.

"So how are you finding Central City?" The question was direct and Barbara almost smiled at the recollection of Joe explaining his daughter's aspirations to become a journalist.

"Like I told Barry, so far it's been great. The people are nice, I don't have to worry so much about ticking off a mafia boss," she laughed along with Iris and Eddie, "but yeah, I think I'll be here for a while."

"That's great," Iris nudged Barry, "isn't it, Barry?" She was attempting to do everything in her power to ensure Barry entered into a healthy relationship with somebody, but as Barry suddenly flailed for a response with the underlining message of 'I love you, Iris' Barbara shook her head.

"Oh, no, Barry's sweet but I'm actually seeing someone." As soon as the words had left her mouth, Barbara wished she hadn't intercepted Iris' words. "Yeah, he's back in Gotham though, so we don't see each other much." Barbara felt more than a little silly as she fabricated a lie, but despite that, she knew that the base of it was the truth. She _did _have somebody back in Gotham, but she had ended it and despite it only being a few weeks, she felt as though she hadn't seen _him _in months. Could you miss somebody you didn't want to see?

Just as Iris was about to bombard her with questions, Eddie's phone suddenly rang and he was standing within the next second. "That was Joe, turns out our suspect from the bank was just spotted downtown." Eddie planted a kiss on Iris' forehead and was running towards the door before anyone could reply.

Though, as Iris turned and looked for an ear to listen to her irritations about dating a cop, Barry suddenly stood too. "I'm sorry, but I just remembered that I've got a bunch of blood samples being analysed. I don't think I turned them off." Barry continued apologising as he headed towards the exit and pushed the revolving doors with all of his might, causing a few startled heads to turn.

"Welcome to my life." Iris sighed and raised an arm to grab the attention of the waitress. Evidently the older woman had witnessed half of their table leaving because she was already tearing a page out of her notepad. "Rain check?" She said, grabbing her bag from the empty space beside before standing. Barbara mimicked her movements and nodded, slightly taken aback when Iris pulled her into a hug. "It was nice meeting you." Iris' tone indicated that they were going to walk and talk, something Barbara was thankful for; she didn't want to be the last person standing at an empty table.

"Next time we'll make sure they both have the day off," Barbara said as she followed Iris back out into the frosty air. "But it was nice meeting you too." Barbara hooked a thumb over her shoulder and sighed as she and Iris parted ways. She had intended on going straight home, but as she paused on the concrete and looked up at the night sky, the thin hair on her arms stood to attention. Staring directly at her were a pair of eyes, shielded by a thin black mask and framed by disorganised black waves.

Barbara hesitated for a second, her eyes widening as though the figure could be a trick of the moon's light. There was a brief moment where the better part of her mind compelled her to call out a name, but she pursed her lips and continued walking. Though instead of continuing along the concrete towards her block, she immediately turned to her left and entered a dank alleyway.

There was a foul stench and various puddles that seemed to be occupied by more than just rain water. The sound of rats or other rodents scurrying around the base of dumpsters echoed off the damp brick walls but Barbara periodically looked to the sky. The figure had disappeared but Barbara could still feel the presence of _him _somewhere on the rooftops.

"What do you want?" Barbara called out, cautiously looking before and behind her in case others were observing her. But as the seconds went by and she failed to receive an answer, she muttered an obscenity under her breath and shook her head. She paced back and forth for several minutes, debating and pondering her next move, but as no other alternative presented itself, she began taking off the jacket of her suit.

She took a few steps backwards and stretched her arms, limbering up as best she could. And after briefly analysing the width and height she had to work with, she reluctantly untucked the hem of her shirt from her trousers and began fiddling with the utility belt of her Batgirl costume. Despite vowing never to don her costume again, she always liked to have a back-up plan, Central City wasn't completely devoid of crime after all.

Taking a deep breath and doing her best to slightly arch her back and aim, she allowed the small yet reinforced grappling hook to fire. Expectedly it landed exactly where she had aimed and as her body was pulled towards the sky, her hands instinctively grabbed the roof of the building.

It hurt slightly as the jagged and chip edges of the bricks dug into her palms, but she grit her teeth and hoisted herself upwards. Granted the landing wasn't as graceful as it was once, but as her heeled boots buried themselves amongst the gravel, she stretched her arms to balance herself.

After finally straightening her back, she ran her hands along the length of her crumpled shirt and sighed. "So," she said after a much needed intake of breath, "what's so important that you couldn't honour our deal? Dick."


End file.
